I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

Clutching her head, which felt as though it might crack open, Aqua cowered behind Megumin.

Even though Kazuma and Nero were openly badmouthing her, Aqua didn't dare say a word in protest.

For once, it seemed she had learned her lesson.

"Well, after racking up a mountain of debt over the past few days and earning almost nothing during the cabbage migration, Aqua decided she needed to take on more quests to make money," Kazuma began to explain.

"But as you've probably noticed…" He gestured toward the quest board.

Nero followed his gaze and understood the situation immediately.

For the past few days, the number of monsters in the surrounding areas had dwindled drastically, resulting in a significant drop in available quests. Rumors had begun to spread—apparently, a high-ranking Demon King army general had taken up residence in a small castle near the town. The presence of such a powerful figure had frightened the weaker monsters into hiding.

The once-bustling quest board was now almost empty, offering only a handful of jobs—all of which were extremely difficult.

Axel's adventurers, notorious for being lazy unless absolutely desperate for money, had made a killing during the cabbage migration. Now, faced with high-risk quests, most of them had gone back to slacking off.

All except one exception.

Or, rather, one exception among exceptions.

"That would be me, wouldn't it?" Nero said with a slight smirk.

At this point, the only team still actively taking on monster subjugation quests was Nero's group.

Unlike most adventurers, Nero and her companions weren't short on funds. They took on quests purely for the experience. Besides, they were powerful enough to handle monsters that ordinary adventurers wouldn't dream of facing.

Nero glanced at Aqua, who flinched under her gaze.

"Don't tell me you thought that if I didn't complete those quests, you'd somehow be able to collect the rewards instead?" Nero asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Eek—!!" Aqua let out a pathetic squeak and shrank even further behind Megumin.

Kazuma, meanwhile, looked like he was witnessing a miracle. "I've never seen Aqua this terrified of anyone before…"

For good reason. Aqua was notoriously impervious to learning from her mistakes.

Kazuma's party was a collection of unique talents: Megumin, a master of the world's most destructive magic; Aqua, a divine priest with unparalleled healing and support abilities; Darkness, a crusader with dragon-like resilience; and Kazuma himself, a crafty leader with absurdly high luck.

On paper, they could face Demon King generals and come out victorious. And yet, in everyday situations, they struggled to take down even a single giant frog—often risking total party wipes.

Nero had no illusions about what would happen if Kazuma's party attempted the same quests her team breezed through. She was fairly certain Kazuma would end up dying again, dragged back by Aqua's resurrection powers in a humiliating state.

The thought was enough to make her sigh.

"Use that walnut-sized brain of yours and develop some basic judgment skills!" Nero scolded, her tone sharp as a blade.

"AAAAAHHHH—!! It's going to crack! My head's really going to crack this time! I can already see that annoying junior of mine, Eris, sitting in my favorite chair and smiling down at me—AAAAHHHH!" Aqua screamed.

Despite her fondness for beautiful women—which had only intensified after obtaining her heroic spirit form—Nero felt nothing for Aqua.

Sure, Aqua was objectively a beautiful girl, but something about her personality nullified any appeal. Nero finally understood why fans often joked, "If you ever fall for Aqua, I'll laugh for a month. If you fall for Sun Wukong, I'll laugh for a lifetime."

---

The rocky terrain was barren, its deep brown crags jagged and unyielding. On this harsh landscape, a massive black bear—easily the size of a small hill—let out a thunderous roar and swiped at Alice with its massive paw.

But Alice, already prepared, dodged gracefully. In one swift motion, she spun her wrist, and her holy sword, sharp as the finest blade, severed the bear's paw cleanly. The creature howled in agony.

"Yunyun, now!" Alice called out.

"Light of Saber!" Yunyun responded, her voice steady as her magic surged.

A gleaming blade of pure energy, capable of cutting through anything as long as mana was sufficient, slashed down, severing the bear's head in one stroke.

With a tremendous crash, the bear's massive body collapsed, sending tremors through the ground beneath their feet.

Both girls, panting slightly, exchanged glances before breaking into triumphant smiles and sharing a high-five.

"Yay! We did it!" they cheered in unison.

Nearby, Nero stood with her sword, Aestus Estus: The Original Flame, embedded in the rocky ground. With both hands resting on the hilt, she watched the scene unfold, her posture as straight as bamboo. Her emerald eyes sparkled with pride as she observed Alice and Yunyun's teamwork.

On the way back to town, the group chatted about their recent battle.

"I never expected such a powerful monster to appear near Axel…" Yunyun said.

"Well, this is a beginner's town. If a monster that strong had shown up near the capital, the knights and guild would've immediately sent out a subjugation force," Alice noted.

Nero couldn't help but marvel at how strange Axel was. This place wasn't just a haven for beginners—it was a hub of extraordinary figures. Gods, demons, Demon King generals, and even rumors of divine beasts lurking nearby. She'd overheard adventurers at the guild casually mention creatures like "Genbu" and "Byakko" over drinks.

The monster they had just defeated was known as Black Fang, a dangerous beast with a high bounty.

With weaker monsters hiding due to the presence of a Demon King general, only these stronger creatures dared to roam.

Still, that suited Nero and her team just fine. Lesser monsters wouldn't provide enough of a challenge to hone their skills.

"How's the experience from this quest?" Nero asked Yunyun.

"Great! Since I landed the finishing blow, I earned a ton of experience points. I can now learn another advanced spell!" Yunyun said, her voice filled with excitement.

As a Crimson Demon, Yunyun was an advanced-class mage. Most Crimson Demons learned one advanced spell before graduating from their school of magic, but Yunyun's path had been unconventional.

Once, to save Megumin's sister from monsters, Yunyun had learned intermediate magic instead of advanced spells, allowing her to graduate earlier. This made her stand out as the only Crimson Demon without an advanced spell at the time.

But things were different now. After joining Nero's party and defeating high-level monsters, Yunyun had rapidly gained levels. Just a few days ago, she had learned her first advanced spell, Light of Saber, and now she had earned enough skill points to learn another.

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